Worth It
by goodenoughforme
Summary: Clara Oswald is determined to perfect the Doctor's social skills, so as a test she invites him to a family dinner! Fluff, domestics, and teasing ensues. First story, set to be five chapters. Rated T just to be safe.
1. Calling the Zaefarian Queen Fat

**A/N Hello! This is my first ever story so it's very nice to meet you all! Enjoy and feel free to review, if you'd like! This is probably my shortest chapter!**

Chapter 1- Calling the Zaefarian Queen Fat

"Right then," cried the Doctor, pulling Clara forcefully into the Tardis and slamming the doors tightly shut behind them, muffling the angry sounds of war calls and screeches. "No problem. Just a slight run in with some slightly agitated Zaefarians." He jumped enthusiastically to the TARDIS console, pulled a few levers and pushed a few buttons. "But we always manage to escape in time, don't we Clara?" He twirled around to face his companion, hands lifted in the air. "Where to next?"

Clara raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow and crossed her arms across her chest. She did not look happy. "Doctor," she started.

"Let's see... there's Zygfroid, Barcelona... ooh you'd love Barcelona, Clara!"

"Doctor..."

"Salify, Contagon,Lillyloopdatoria..."

"Doctor! Stop!"

The Doctor quickly closed his mouth and stepped away from the console. "Right sorry... this gob of mine."

"Doctor are we even going to talk about what happened out there?" Clara said impatiently.

"Well let's see, we ran into some very unfriendly Zaefarian soldiers who proceeded to take us to their queen and we ended up in a jail cell for a few days where we conjured up an escape plan and ran for our lives." He paused. "Pretty accurate description, am I correct?"

She took a step closer. "Doctor, you basically called the Queen fat.."

He scoffed. "I merely commented on her diet, I was only trying to..."

"I think we really need to work on your social skills, Doctor. They could save us a few days in jail." She took a seat and lifted her feet up on the TARDIS console. The TARDIS in response gave an agitated groan and Clara quickly removed her feet.

"I'll have you know that my social skills, are impeccable, Clara Oswald, and I am highly insulted."

She stood up and stepped closer to him, so that he was able to smell her perfume from her close vicinity. "Listen, I know this is a sensitive subject..."

"Sensitive?"

"But if you're traveling with me , I at least expect to see some decent table manners."

He opened his mouth to argue, but with a quick look at her knowing smirk and her impatient foot tapping against the TARDIS grating, he knew he couldn't possibly win an argument against Clara Oswald.

"Alright, Clara, and how do you want to go about this lesson?"

She smiled brightly and spun around, walking around the console until she met him again on the other side. "Take me home, Chin Boy," she grinned.

"Home? Why home?"

"A test. Let's see how well you manage to sit through a family dinner. Saturday, May 25th, Angie and Artie's Aunt and Uncle invited me to dinner. I'm supposed to go anyways, so why don't you just join me?"

The Doctor stared at her, dumbfounded. "No. No, absolutely not."

She smacked his arm and he let out a small yelp. "And why not?" she demanded.

He scrunched his nose. "It's too... domestic. Human."

She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Doctor, you're being ridiculous. It's only one night."

"But Clara," he exclaimed, stepping away from her and running his hand through his hair. "Think of what we could do in one night! We could... save the universe again!"

"I think the universe can give us a night off, don't you think Doctor?"

"Clara..." he groaned.

"Don't you Clara me! Get dressed, we're going to dinner."

"What are you talking about? I am dressed."

She paused and looked him up and down. She gave him nothing but a sigh and a purse of her lips. "Whatever you say Doctor," she called to him, disappearing down one of the many TARDIS corridors.


	2. A Lesson in Social Skills

**A/N hello again! Welcome to the second chapter! Thanks for reading, all you lovely people!**

CHAPTER 2: A LESSON IN SOCIAL SKILLS

An hour and half later, the Doctor and Clara stood on the doorstep of Uncle Joe and Aunt Betsy, looking almost like a normal couple going to dinner, despite the flashy bowtie. Before he rang the doorbell, the Doctor took a moment to analyze Clara. She looked positively fantastic, the Doctor grudgingly admitted to himself. She was looking stunning in a small, flowy black dress, with her hair twisted in pretty coils to form a cute updo. Her makeup was modest, appropriate for a night with the family. On her feet she wore cute little red flats which reminded him of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.

She turned to look at him and caught him staring. The Doctor quickly looked away and rang the doorbell. "What?" she asked. "Not nervous, are you?"

He scoffed. "Nervous? Of course not."

"Well good, because we'll be here for the next good five hours."

The Doctor gave an impatient groan but his pout quickly melted into a charming smile as a kind looking lady in her mid thirties opened the door.

"Hello!" they exclaimed in unison, giving a little wave.

"Oh, Clara!" said the woman, pulling Clara into a tight hug. "It's so good to see you! Come in and meet John!"

Clara laughed and turned to give the Doctor and encouraging smile.

"Aunt Betsy! There's someone I'd like you to meet." She patted the Doctor on the back roughly, who was busy examining a vine of ivy trailing along the outside of the house. "This is the Doctor. He's my-"

"He's her boyfriend," said a younger voice from the corridor. Out of the hallway emerged the devious smiles of Angie and Artie .

Clara coughed in embarrassment "Actually, no, he's really just-"

"A doctor did you say?" said Aunt Betsy excitedly. "Clara how is it that I haven't heard of him until now?"

"He's not really a Doctor," informed Artie. "He's a time-"

The Doctor sprung to him and clamped a hand over his mouth. "Right, a doctor, that's me!" He pulled Aunt Betsy to him and gave her two sloppy kisses on the both cheeks. "Oh you humans and your strange greeting customs!"

Aunt Betsy stared at him as though she were looking at a Slitheen. She blinked a few times before continuing. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name. What was it again?"

"The Doctor," said Clara, linking her arm in his, the starts of an embarrassed blush escaping into her cheeks.

"The Doctor," she repeated slowly.

"Yup. Just the Doctor," said the Doctor cheerfully.

Aunt Betsy laughed a strange sort of laugh and then clapped her hands together. "Well, Doctor, come and meet the rest of the family." She hurried down the hallway, tying together the strings of her apron.

Clara could hear a loud gulp as the Doctor swallowed next to her, and she patted his arm comfortingly. "Thanks," she said to him quietly, looking at him through her mascara covered eyelashes.

"For what?" he asked, his voice a few pitches higher than normal.

She shrugged. "For doing this. It means a lot."

He gave her a small, sweet smile. :Anytime, Clara Oswald. Now let's do this."

She giggled. "Geronimo!"

He stopped. "No, Clara. That's my thing. You can't say that."

She bit her lip. "Oops sorry."


	3. No Touching the Sonic

**A/N So we meet again! I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Don't worry Whouffle fans, there is more romance and fluff coming! Enjoy!**

CHAPTER 3: NO TOUCHING THE SONIC

The Doctor decided that Artie and Angie's Aunt and Uncle were probably some of the most kind hearted humans he has ever come across. They had two children: a two year old boy named Cary and an eight month old baby named John, whom Clara was just meeting tonight.

"Oh, he's wonderful," Clara said in awe as Aunt Betsy placed the small human being in her arms. Clara accepted the child with a gentleness that the Doctor had never seen in her before.

"Yes, he's wonderful, when he's asleep," said Uncle Joe tiredly from the kitchen.

There was the ding from the oven and Aunt Betsy popped up from her chair. "Ooh! That must be the souffle! I used your mother's recipe, Clara." She got up and hopped to the kitchen.

Clara stroked the soft beginnings of brown hair on the baby's head lovingly. "Doctor, look."

But the Doctor couldn't look because Cary was climbing all over him and pulling on his hair, trying to get a hold of his sonic screwdriver. "That's very nice," he growled as Cary grabbed hold onto the Doctor's nose and pinched it with his sticky hands. "But I'm a little preoccupied right now- Ow!"

Clara laughed at the unbelievably cute scene that was playing out in front of her, and continued to rock the baby gently in her arms.

Little Cary began to cry at the Doctor's startlingly outburst of pain. The Doctor shot Clara a look of panic. Clara stared at him and then gave a sigh, stood up and placed the baby into it's tiny swing and scooped up Cary in her arms while the boy began to cry and hiccup all over her new find from the TARDIS closet.

"Was the big, scary, Doctor mean to you, Cary,?" she said, as he wrapped his little hands around her ears.

"I want the scwewdwivah," he sobbed and turned to give the Doctor a pointed glare.

Clara turned to him. "Doctor why can't you just give him the sonic screwdriver?"

The Doctor looked at her in shock. "Clara, I can't just give him the sonic screwdriver. It's not a toy."

"It is so a toy."

"It could blow up the whole house if he presses a wrong button!"

Cary began to cry even louder.

Guilt spread over the features of the Doctor's face and finally he gave in. "Fine. Okay, see? Here's the sonic screwdriver." He pressed a few buttons on the device and then handed it to the boy who promptly stuck it into his mouth happily.

"I child locked it," he said to Clara proudly.

"No blowing up the house then?"

"None."

Clara paused for a moment as Cary jumped out of her arms and began to use the Doctor's lanky figure as a jungle gym. "Doctor?"she asked

"Yes, Clara?" he said with difficulty.

"Where's Angie and Artie?"

As if on cue, the siblings appeared at the top of the stairs, arguing their heads off.

"It's my turn to pick!"

"No," said Angie, "You picked last time. It's my turn to pick!"

"Pick what?" asked the Doctor finally untangling himself from the enthusiastic Cary.

"The movie we're going to watch tonight. I want to watch Pirates of the Caribbean and Angie wants to watch Love, Actually. We are not watching that. It has sex in it."

Clara coughed awkwardly while the Doctor suddenly became very interested in a mysterious spot on the floor. "Artie, how do you even know that word?"

He rolled his eyes. "Clara, this is the twenty first century and I'm a growing boy. How can I not know that word? Besides, Angie says that you and the Doctor-"

"ALRIGHT! Pirates of the Caribbean it is, then. Sorry , Ange, but I distinctly remember it was Artie's turn tonight."

"Woohoo!" said Artie while he ran down the stairs and hopped onto the sofa in front of the telly.

Aunt Betsy and Uncle Joe appeared from the kitchen. "I think that it's time for Cary and John to go to bed," said Aunt Betsy. "Joe would you tuck Cary in? What movie are we watching tonight?"

"Pirates of the Caribbean," moaned Angie. "For like the fifth time."

"Oh, I love that one," said Uncle Joe, picking up Cary, who suddenly seemed as though no energy was left in him. "Clara could you take John?"

"Sure!" said Clara excitedly.

""Oh darling, I need Clara's help with the souffle. I never get it right. Doctor, would you?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Me?"

"Yes, you."

"Uhrmmmm..." Clara jabbed him roughly in the side. "Of course I'll do it. I'm great with babies. Just call me Mary Poppins!" he said quickly.

Clara slapped a hand to her forehead.

Uncle Joe gave him a strange look and shrugged. "All right then, follow me. I'll show you where his sleepy time music is." He placed John awkwardly in the Doctor's arms. Clara nearly burst out laughing at the sight.

"Good luck!" she whispered to him knowingly.

"Oh, shut up," he said, following Uncle Joe back up the stairs.

**A/N Don't you just love the Doctor and babies? *sighs***


	4. Speaking Baby

**A/N Ugh, I love this chapter. Maybe I'm crazy and I think my writing is actually good, but I just love me some Whouffle! Enjoy! Review please :)**

CHAPTER 4: SPEAKING BABY

It was twenty minutes until the end of Pirates of the Caribbean and the Doctor still had not returned from putting the baby to sleep .What was he doing up there? Not only was Clara feeling anxious that the Doctor was probably corrupting innocent John with bedtime stories of aliens and time travel, but she was beginning to feel the absence of his presence and lost all of her attention on the movie to thoughts of her wonderful Doctor.

Suddenly, she stood up in the dark room, startling everyone. "I'm going to see the Doctor," she said. And then jogged up the stairs and into the nursery.

And there the Doctor stood, a man with a memory of a thousand years, a mind full of torture and pain and loss, holding the most simple and innocent thing in the universe; a child, and Clara Oswald has never been more attracted to a man in her entire life. There was something about an insane Time Lord holding a baby that was undeniably attractive.

She approached this dream like picture quietly as to not to disturb them and placed a hand softly on the Doctor's shoulder. "Hello, stranger," she said flirtingly. He turned gently to look at her and smiled softly and she smiled back.

"You're getting along quite well, I think," she whispered to him.

He nodded. "I agree. Although mostly it's because I can speak baby."

Her mouth dropped open. "You're kidding me." She shook her head at him. "You're full of it."

"It's true, I swear," he protested, rocking back and forth on either leg to soothe the child. "I was just having a lovely conversation with him right before he fell asleep."

"Right. And what did he say, exactly?" She crossed her arms in disbelief.

"We were talking about you, actually, if you're so interested."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Really."

"Oh, yes," he nodded, slowly lowering the little John into the crib below them and covering him with a blanket. "He was just saying how pretty you were."

She giggled; she couldn't help it. Leaning against the nearby wall and smiling, she said, "How nice. And what else did he say about me?"

The Doctor turned to her and gave her a look that made her heart skip a beat. "It was a private conversation. Strictly confidential. Wouldn't want to lose little John's trust in me, would we?" He took another step towards her, and she felt herself wanting to lift her hand and brush away the small piece of hair that was falling into his eyes. Those old, ancient eyes.

"Oh, of course not," she said, finding her voice coming out surprisingly lower than it usually was. She cleared her throat and changed the subject. "You're very good with children, Doctor. Even with Angie and Artie.."

He laughed. "They only like me for my time machine."

She took a step towards him and reached up to fix his bowtie. "Well, that may be true. But they might, just maybe, like you for you."

He grabbed her hands when she was done fiddling and gathered them in his large ones while bringing them to his lips for a soft kiss. "What an idea," he whispered.

"Doctor," she murmured, finding herself inching towards his face and leaning more on her tiptoes to meet him more at eye level. "Can you really speak baby?"

He laughed, and it hit her heart like golden music notes. Oh no, she thought, what is happening to me?

"Of course I can," he said, his face instinctively leaning towards hers. Clara felt her eyes begin to flutter close.

"You know, Doctor," she said huskily. "Everybody down there seems to be under the impression that we're in a relationship. Romantically, I mean."

He raised his eyebrows but he kept his close vicinity. "Do they now?"

"Mmhmm," she murmured reaching her arms around his neck and moving her face closer to his. Oh goodness, she thought, What am I doing?

"And what do you suppose we do about that Clara Oswald?" What was he doing, a panicked voice inside her head rang out. Oh God, he's looking at me like that again. Is he flirting with me? That's okay, right? He always flirts with me.

"I think," she whispered. That we should snog? Thank we should run back to the TARDIS and confess my feelings for you and spend the rest of the night shagging? No, he would never go for that. "I think... we should do nothing to convince them otherwise."

Suddenly a look of pain came across his face as he pressed his forehead to hers. "Oh Clara, my Clara," he whispered, sending a chill down her spine. "My impossible girl." He forehead was replaced by his lips and they pressed softly against her skin. "You have to understand that I can't-"

"Clara, can you please tell Artie, that-" the door burst open and a stream of interrupting light flooded the darkened room along with a very angry Angie, stopped, frozen in her steaming tracks. "Oh..." her eyes looked down and the Doctor and Clara jumped away from each other. "Sorry," she said quickly, and turned to leave.

"No, wait," the Doctor called. "Please tell Artie what?"

Angie stared at him, and then shifted her level gaze to Clara. "The movie is over and now we're playing a really intense game of Trivial Pursuit and I swear that Artie cheated and nobody believes me. We need a judge."

Clara nodded, and tucked her hair behind her ear with a shaking hand. "Right. Of course, happy to help."

"Alright," Angie eyed the Doctor distrustingly and then exited the room.. "See you down there."

Clara cleared her throat and then turned to look at the Doctor, and even in the darkened room, she could tell that he was blushing. "Right then, Doctor," she said, grabbing his hand. "Ready for the scariest game of Trivial Pursuit you've ever seen?"

"Oh, I am so ready," he said, pulling her out of the room and closing the door quietly to let little John sleep quietly in his cradle.


	5. Totally Worth It

**A/N And so our fluffly Whouffle journey has come to an end. I'm glad that you stuck around! Please review!**

CHAPTER 5: TOTALLY WORTH IT

"Okay, Doctor," said Clara, washing a used dish clean of left over souffle and placing it in the dishwasher. "Be honest with me."

He looked at her innocently as he reached for another plate and handed it to her. "Clara Oswald, when am I not honest with you?"

She just stared at him.

"Okay point taken. Honest about what?"

She put her dishes down and turned to face him, yellow rubber gloved hands on her hips. "Was tonight bad or horrible?"

He took a seat on the stool next to him. "Surprisingly, neither."

"Wow you really don't like domestics," said Clara, now crossing her arms.

"No, I meant it in a good way. Neither as in neither bad or horrible but just the right amount of... wonderful."

She grinned brightly. "Are you pulling my leg?"

He laughed and handed her another dish. "Keep washing or I'll deny that I ever said that for all of eternity."

She swallowed her smile and took the plate and began scrubbing, but cracked another when he wasn't looking."

They cleaned the dishes in silence. Clara couldn't help but think of how all very domestic this was. Washing the dishes after movie night with the family, rocking babies to sleep, almost kissing... Before Clara could get too immersed in her pondering, the Doctor broke the silence.

"Are you sure, Clara?"

She looked up, and put the last dish into the washer. "Sure? Sure of what?"

"Are you sure you want to come back with me to the TARDIS?"

She froze suddenly, feeling nervous. How could he ask her that? What do you mean, exactly?" she asked warily.

He narrowed his eyes, and lifted his hands in the air, trying to indicate to her. "This. I mean this. Do you have any idea what kind of life you're sacrificing?" He was interrupted by another round of laughter coming from the family room. He took another step closer to her, and lowered his voice, staring at her intently. "How could you give up all this?

"But I'm not giving this up. I'm still here, aren't I?" she asked, confused. "With you. The best of both worlds."

He laughed bitterly. "You could die. It's very likely that you could die when you travel with me. I'm trying to protect you, but now I'm not even sure if I'm doing a very good job of it."

"I don't want protection. I want adventure." I want you, she thought.

"But look around you. This is the adventure. Family. Love, getting married, having children."

She shook her head in determination. "I don't care," she said with finality. "That's not all that there is. I'm not that kind of person."

His eyes softened in sorrow as he took a step towards her and bent his head so he could talk more quietly. "I can't give you this, Clara. I can't give you a normal life."

She swallowed and cupped her hand around his neck. She felt him stiffen at her touch. "You know, I always thought a normal life was vastly overrated."And then she did something she promised herself she'd never do. She kissed the Doctor.

And it was wonderful. She wrapped her arms around his slim waist as his hands reached around her neck after a few seconds of initial his hands wrapped slowly around her waist and lifted her slightly up so that she could stand on his toes. Suddenly he broke away, while she struggled to find air.

"Clara, what are you doing?" he whispered in her ear.

"Kissing you, I think. Or at least trying to make you stop talking."

"Oi!"

"You're blushing," she commented, noting the faint redness of his cheeks and the slightly dumbfounded expression on his face. "It's cute."

He let her go to straighten his bowtie. "I am never cute. That is very insulting."

"Come here, you silly Time Lord," she said, pulling his lips towards hers a very sweet kiss. She hopped onto the kitchen counter and tugged him closer to her by his lanky arm. She ran a hand through his hair. God, he has great hair, she thought.

"I consider the day I met you the best day of my life," she confessed to him in a soft whisper.

"Clara," he scoffed, pulling back from her, "You were nearly killed by wifi that trapped humans into a huge database. I think you've seen better days."

"Mmmm," she agreed, leaning in for another kiss. "But it was totally worth it."


End file.
